I have been a long-time fan of Whoopi Goldberg and her work. I recently watched Whoopi on Oprah’s Master Class on OWN and was reminded of how intelligent and self aware she is. Whoopi is an amazingly talented woman whose passion for her craft makes her one of the best in the business. To celebrate Whoopi, her award worthy talent, her undeniable wisdom, and her sometimes controversial opinions, I have compiled some of my favorite Whoopi Goldberg quotes

1. “If you’re going to lie, make it interesting.”

2. “I had a mother who demanded that you tell the truth or be insanely creative abut lying. It had to be a good story. If it was a terrible story, you an the risk of really having her disappointed in your lack of imagination.”

3. “Actors have no color. That’s the art form.”

4. “An actress can only play a woman,I’m an actor I can play anything”

5. “Art and life are subjective. Not everybody’s gonna dig what I dig, but I reserve the right to dig it.”

6. “I’m black and I’m getting the work and I’m doing some good things, but I realize many black actors and actresses are not being given the opportunities. The industry has got to stop thinking in terms of black and white and has to start thinking in terms of who is right, regardless of color, for the role.”

7. “I always thought that if I was married I would be closer to normal But as it turns out I’m just not normal and that’s something I’ve come to accept.”

8. “I would love to teach every kid to say ‘fuck.’ Hang on, now, hang on, listen to why. The reason is because to me, that is a word that doesn’t have any effect. But ‘stupid’ and ‘dummy’? You can say it to someone who is six and you can say it to someone who is a hundred and six and they will hunch their shoulders and it will be like somebody kicked them in the stomach because they are harsh, ugly words.”

9. “I am where I am because I believe in all possibilities.”

10. “We are all here for a reason. I believe the reason is to throw little torches out to lead people thru the darkness.”

Gabrielle Union is one of my favorites! This year she has been a fixture in the news and blogs because of her awesome TV movie turned series, Being Mary Jane and her honest and candid confessions about her life as a former mean girl.

I have been a fan since day one and am looking forward to the rest of her career. Gabrielle is one of the most outspoken women in Hollywood. To celebrate Gabrielle, I have complied several quotes from her over the years.

1. “I just thought acting would be something to help out with my student loans, but my first year as an actress, I made more money than my parents. That’s when I realized it could turn into a career. After that, I put everything I had into it.”

2. “We give a lot of others significance in our lives even when they don’t deserve it. It doesn’t matter if they’re family or if you’ve known them forever. If they’re not good for you, they’ve got to go.”

3. “All minorities think they’re immune, but we’re absolutely part of the one in five that gets skin cancer! It’s a myth, and myths are meant to be debunked!”

4. “We all have to let go of the Prince Charming complex and realize he doesn’t necessarily exist in the package we assume he’ll come in.”

5. “In Hollywood, you play a mom, and the next thing you know, you’re on ‘The Golden Girls.’ They age you so fast.”

6. “I’ve been trying to get cast as a lesbian for years.”

7. “A lot of women seem to think the way to ingratiate themselves is to put down other women or backstab. That’s the quickest way to be eliminated from my life – try that with me, and you’re out.”

8. “I think I’m drawn to more villain-type characters, because it’s so cool to get to say all the things you want to say. In Hollywood, you get to this position where you have to bite your tongue so much. You take all your experiences of not being able to say what you really want to say, and channel that through your character.”

9. “Drama can feel like therapy whereas comedy feels like there’s been a pressure and a weight lifted off of you. You come to work and you laugh all day, you go home and you feel light and there’s a certain feeling when you’re sitting with the audience and they leave after 90 minutes and it’s just pure escapism and they’re happy.”

10. “I think there’s a lot of things that occur within the African-American community, that we would prefer to stay within the African-American community – that we get a little nervous when you start having scenes or dialogue that we know is going to be viewed and heard on a national or global scale.”

11. “I can’t just say one time of the year I’m going to do something different. I have to commit to a lifestyle behavioral change and just try to be a little bit better today than I was yesterday.”

12. “I love TV. I love the stability of it.”

13. “We don’t consider black, urban films as ‘indies,’ though many of them are shot for under $10 million which is kind of the definition of an indie.”

14. “The black community in Hollywood is very small and close-knit. Everyone has a common goal: to make a two-hour movie in 30 days.”

15. “I’m not going to change the world overnight. It’s one person at a time, and hopefully they’re people in positions of power who can help people get in those roles and really, truly embrace colorblind casting.”

Pearl Bailey was an actress, singer, Tony and Emmy Award winner. She is also known as a tough talking woman who was self aware and talented beyond measure. Pearl died on August 17, 1990. To celebrate her life and legacy, I have compiled seven Pearl Bailey quotes.

1. “You must change in order to survive.”

2. “What the world really needs is more love and less paper work.”

3. “A man without ambition is dead. A man with ambition but no love is dead. A man with ambition and love for his blessings here on earth is ever so alive.”

4. “People see God every day, they just don’t recognize him.”

5. “A crown, if it hurts us, is not worth wearing.”
6. “The first and worst of all frauds is to cheat one’s self. All sin is easy after that.”

7. “There are two kinds of talent, man-made talent and God-given talent. With man-made talent you have to work very hard. With God-given talent, you just touch it up once in a while.”